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’Ideal,’ Lady Envy said ’We thank you, holy ones’

The walk to the mouth of the side street was no more than fifty paces, yet in that tifro and Garath returned to flank Lady Envy Senu and Thurule set the travois down against the wall of a corner building, then faced the square once more, hands on their weapons

’The will of the Faith has embraced the citizens of Bastion,’ the priest said ’It arrives like a fever … a fever that only death can abate Yet it must be remembered that the Embrasure was first felt here in Bastion itself, fourteen years ago The Seer had returned fro the Words of Truth, and the power of those words rippled outward ’ The priest’s voice broke with soht by his oords He bowed his head, his entire body tre

Another priest continued for hiarth was encale night And the First Child of the Dead Seed was gifted to the e, an event that has triggered a renewed burgeoning of the Faith -- a second Embrasure has occurred, under the command of the First Child, Anaster You shall see hi his newfound Tenescowri A aits them far to the north -- the faithless city of Capustan must be rewarded’

’Holy ones,’ Lady Envy said, raising her voice to be heard over the growing roar of chanting voices, ’please forgive norance A Child of the Dead Seed -- what precisely is that?’

’Thethe male unbelievers,of life-seed … and continues after life has fled At this moment, with a corpse beneath her, a woman may ride and so take within her a dead man’s seed The children that are thus born are the holiest of the Seer’s kin Anaster is the first to reach his age’

’That is,’ Lady Envy said, ’extraordinary …’

Toc saw her face sickly pale for the first tiift, mistress A Child of the Dead Seed bears the visible truth of death’s kiss of life -- proof of the Reward itself We know that foreigners fear death The Faithful do not’

Toc cleared his throat, leaned close to the priest ’Once these Tenescowri leave Bastion … is there anyone else still breathing in the city?’

’Embrasure is absolute, sir’

’In other words, those who did not succumb to the fever have been … rewarded’

’Indeed’

’And then eaten’

’The Tenescowri have needs’